TRT News

2010 Kampala Young Leaders Program Delivers Successfully

on Aug 26 in News, Uganda tagged by Hutch

Report By Nekesa Dot (TRT Press Officer)
The Kampala Young Leaders program that kicked off on August 20, 2010 at Kyadondo Rugby Club in Kampala had more than skills imparting to the enthusiastic youth. The participants also revealed their experiences and achievements reaped from the sport and Leadership program.

Through guidance and material from the Tag Rugby Trust in the UK, the Kampala team conducted a youth program whose course format comprised of theory, practical and individual involvement. In attendance were 28 youngsters, some of whom were among the first children to take part in the Tag Rugby programme in 2003 and have competitively played in the Kampala grand tournament for their schools. Most of them were attending the young leadership course for the first time for which participation was excellent with 13 girls and 15 boys.

At an individual level the students did interact with trainers on what they needed from a leadership course for which many revealed that being leaders would enable them to give back to tag rugby as well as shaping their own future.

The three half day fruitful sessions had an impact on various areas which included effectiveness in communication, presentation with clarity, tag rugby coaching, use of appropriate networks to develop an initiative, safe delivery of enjoyable tag coaching activities, organisation of community delivery, design and adherence to a leaders code of conduct and many others. The participants also shared their expectations and views on the difference between tag rugby and other sports.

Amongst the day’s participants were tag rugby graduates and those that travelled to the UK for the Tour Aid mini competitions in Twickenham, as well as playing for top junior and top clubs at home. Many of the participants said they would like to become Coaches, Referees and Administrators, and here are some of the young leaders views about the program;

Philip Wokorach
l am aged 17 and at the moment in High school. l first played tag rugby in 2004 at Mbuya barracks primary school, which groomed me in preparation for the Twickenham games in UK where Uganda performed averagely. I also locally play for KK stallion at Kyadondo, a team that has always won its game and emerged victors of the 2009 shield league. The Young Leaders program was just an answer to my dreams of passing on skills to the younger kids through coaching and officiating as well as volunteering.

I have always asked myself how to give back to a sport that groomed me, great leadership just fits the answer. I am a fly half for my club and have scored most tries for my team in total because of my undying tag rugby basics that most of my team mates who have not passed through the tag gutter don’t have.

I admire Kizza Benon on the Uganda team because l have always looked up to him for inspiration being among the first to play tag rugby in the country yet the youngest and most valuable national team player on the Uganda team. Kenya’s fly half Levin Asegu and New Zealand full back make me feel l
still have a long way to go with their excellent play.

Lastly l have always asked our tag officials who Gilbert is, whoever you are,you are a very generous person because everything we have used and still use in tag rugby as well as senior rugby comes from you. I hope one day l can shake your hand to say thanks for dressing Rugby in my country.

Linus Nuwagaba
I am 17 years old and began playing rugby in 2004 in St.Jude primary school. The young leaders program was well-delivered leaving the ball into our hands because it has set the ball rolling and brought forth an idea on how to put the skills we have together with what we learnt into practice.

I plan to give back to tag rugby through leadership and volunteering.A few years back in my primary school we were told how tag rugby would take us places for which many of us did not accept, but when l got selected to go for the Twickenham games in 2008 it was based on the best of the best from a team that had just graduated to mini rugby. I made the team and from then on l have never looked back.

My role model is the man who introduced tag rugby in Uganda Mr.Martin Hansford, each time l look at him
l always say there is nothing impossible. Playing with other kids and the foreign volunteers who save time to come and share with us has always made me admire volunteering. England is the team l support being the birth place of the game that made me learn of rugby as a sport.

Regina Athieno
I am 18 years and play for Panthers at Kampala Rugby club. The leadership program alongside tag rugby has served as an eye opener to many of my friends who did not know they are born leaders especially as females. I am the Sports minister in my school and it is hard to deliver without a plan and it has been hard to involve many girls in my school in many sports, especially rugby, but with the tips l got today watch this space!

The Leadership course has equipped me with more than l thought l wanted which l plan to implement in my Leadership roles even at national level since l am the captain for the U-19 Girls national team.

Thanks goes to the Tag Rugby Trust that has made the game of rugby easy in age groups through tag rugby basics and workshops like this one.

The Tag Rugby team in Kampala was pleased with the turn out and owe our thanks to Trevor, Martin, Rob and the rest who came up with the ideas and necessary manual and equipment for the program.

Flowers, flowers, flowers.